Our Statement on Senator Graham's Proposed Nationwide 15-Week Abortion Ban
This summer, the U.S. The Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decided Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning the federally-protected right to abortion guaranteed in Roe v. Wade.
Prior to the Dobbs decision, racist policies like the Hyde Amendment already made abortion practically inaccessible to many folx–especially poor, young, gender-nonconforming, and Black people–but leaving the issue of abortion rights to the states now places care entirely out of reach.
Just two days after SCOTUS issued its opinion in June, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), notorious sponsor of oppressive, sexist, racist, and antiquated policies, was happy to tell a Fox News reporter, “All of us in the conservative world have believed that there’s nothing in the Constitution giving the federal government the right to regulate abortion.”
On September 13, Sen. Graham introduced nationwide legislation to ban abortion at 15-weeks. 16 states currently have abortion bans in effect. Politicians should not dictate the decisions related to our family planning.
We would like to know what changed for Sen. Graham and his cohorts. While we won’t hold our breath waiting for a response, we do know this much from, and about, the senator’s policy stance.
This proposed legislation confirms that if Republicans regain control of the Senate this November, some of them will push for a nationwide ban–a move that’s been off the table until now.
Thirteen states, including Georgia, already have bans in place that are far more restrictive than Graham’s proposal.
If this bill or a comparable one were to ever pass, these states’ more restrictive bans would remain in place. In states where access is less restricted, many abortions would become outlawed.
Throughout the chaos and confusion, we must stay vigilant, informed, and intensely engaged. We know that abortion bans are racist and disproportionately impact Black birthing people, low-income folx, and queer and trans families. We stand for bodily autonomy, and we will exercise our vote for reproductive justice. We will stand against all those who attempt to deprive us of our autonomy.